EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 89 



perience in microscopy and in plant growin*^ generally, having especially 

 fitted him for the cryptogamic portion of the work. The examination of 

 beet seeds in the early spring for seVeral of the factories falls to the station 

 and is now performed by Professor Pettit. A good deal of old beet seed 

 is foisted upon the country and it is difficult to detect whether seed is new 

 or old. It is possible that the decrease in per cent of germination may 

 be an indication although that fact is not yet established. Farmers are 

 coming more and more to look to the station for identification of plants 

 and for advice about plants and the correspondence of the botanist seems 

 to be increasing daily. 



The year has been marked by the appearance of important bulletins 

 from the entomological department. The loss to fruit growers brought 

 about by the depredations of the codling moth, is enormous. The experi- 

 ments and observations of Professor Pettit go far to suggest methods of 

 fighting the pest which will greatly reduce this damage, since he has dis- 

 covered the range of objects upon which the eggs are laid and has noted 

 as well the time and material of successful spraying. The department is 

 also doing a vast amount of good in replying to questions concerning all 

 sorts of plant diseases and insect enemies. 



In the live stock division of the station Professor Shaw has continued 

 his studies vnth. beet pulp raw and dried. He has also carried forward 

 another year the work with fattening steers with silage, comparing results 

 with other lots fed husked corn, ground, mixed with stalks or unhusked 

 corn fed from the shock. The results have not been satisfactory and have 

 partly contradicted the work of previous years, the steers fed silage showing 

 neither a more rapid or more economical gain. 



The veterinarian has been confronted with the disease of cattle on sandy 

 soils and reports progress in the discovery of the cause. 



The reports of the bacteriologist, chemist, horticulturist, entomologist, 

 experimenter with live stock and veterinarian, are attached hereto and 

 made part of this report. 



Respectfullv submitted, 



C. D. SMITH, 



Director of Experiment Station. 

 Agricultural College, Mich., June 30, 1905. 



REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. 



Prof. C. D. Smith, Director: 



Sir — The work done during the past year by the Horticultural Depart- 

 ment of the Experiment Station has included, in addition to the experi- 

 ments carried on at the college and at the South Haven sub-station, a con- 

 siderable amount of cooperative experiment work along various lines. 



Professor U. P. Hedrick has continued in charge of the station orchards 

 and the small fruit and vegetable plantations, and notes upon the behavior 

 of the various crops have been furnished by his assistants, C. A. McCue 

 and A. G. Craig. 



The strawberry experimental plots in 1904 included a considerable num- 

 ber of English varieties obtained from Laxton Brothers, Bedford, England. 

 12 



